May 29—It wasn’t as flashy as he has demonstrated on other occasions, but the front nine again had some high points for Sam Fidone.
The defending champion in the All-Pro Tour’s Health and Wellness Center’s Real Okie Championship at Muskogee Golf Club holed out two eagles from bunker shots left of the green on the two par-5 holes at 5 and 9 after struggling some of the day with his driver, including a shot off the tree at 15 that led to a bogey.
The one-time SMU golfer’s 67 matches his first-round score which preceded his 62 in round two, and he has a two-shot lead heading into the final round at 14-under par 196.
Garrett May, who made one of the strongest surges in the third round, posting a 62, which matches Fidone for the low round of the tournament. May is in second. He was 5-under 31 on the front nine, with birdies on 1, 4, 6, 7 and 9, then birdied 10 and 11 and adding a final one on 14. The Baylor alum in his first tournament here is at 12-under 198.
Fidone, who used a 28 on the front nine to mount his charge in the final round last year, was 4-under there on Friday in a more up and down style. He had two bogeys, two birdies and the two eagles at 5 and 9.
With surges like these two have had, it’s very much a wide-open event for anyone who does such a thing on Saturday.
Bobby Hudson of Dallas shot 67 and is at 11-under 199, Ryan Baca of Sugar Land, Texas is at 10-under after a 68, and two others share fifth at 9-under — Brian Dwyer of Southlake, Texas and M.J. Daffue of Pretoria, South Africa. Both scored 66s on Friday.
Brandon McIver, last week’s winner on the APT circuit — the golf equivalent you might say of Double-A baseball, is at 8-under after a 69 and tied with Grant Schroeder of Montgomery, Texas.
Myles Creighton, a Canadian native calling Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., home, shot a 70. He’s one of three at 7-under 203. Hayden Wood of Edmond and Martin Flores of Frisco, Texas share that spot.
Seven others are at 6-under, including Sean Jacklin of Brandenton, Fla. Jacklin’s father is Tony Jacklin, who won the British Open in 1969 and U.S. Open the following year.
Myles Halvorsen of Norway, who had half of the first-round lead after a 64, was even par 70 and is 3-under.
The second-round cut following the resumption of Thursday’s suspended round due to weather was even par. Cory Churchman of Fort Worth, who won here in 2019, finished there.
Mesa Falleur, the Muskogee High junior who was fourth at Class 6A state earlier this month, finished his second round on Friday and finished with a 73, which put him 2-over and done early.
Action begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday with a shotgun start on 1 and 10. Fidone, May and Hudson tee off from 1 at 9 a.m.
Admission is free.
Full scoreboard is at apt.golf